There has been a disturbing trend toward increased gunplay in my part of town. These are almost exclusively gang-related incidents where dealers are taking potshots at other dealers if they see the competition infringing on their territory.

Gang-related or not, there needs to be a stronger response from all community leaders, not only the Ottawa Police. And this needs to happen quickly, before a stray bullet hurts or kills a bystander like this 15 year old in Vancouver.

It’s really only a matter of time.

But like I noted, what should happen in addition to a stronger police response (whatever that exactly looks like) is a full community response to the crisis; and yes, this is a crisis. By “full community”, I mean the OPS, the City of Ottawa, the area Community Associations and the School Boards. Four distinct bodies that need to work toward common ends that will stop this trend in its tracks.

And yes, I include the School Boards as one of these four entities.

Speaking about the number 4, Ottawa has four, count ’em four, Boards within its borders. Yes. Four.

But I’ll leave that for another time…

Anyway, all of these Boards, but primarily the largest of them – the OCDSB and the OCSB – have a stake in the mitigation of this emerging crisis. They too have a responsibility to work with the CAs, the police and the City representatives and elected officials.

So, let’s get moving on this! And yes, I’m looking at you too, OCDSB and OCSB, because while we have been hearing about useful sessions with the communities hosted by the OPS and City Councilors, there has been nary a peep from our local Trustees.

In the space of a decade or so, public debates over differences in policy in US politics have been replaced by mud-slinging over differences in colour, religion and heritage.

Obamacare was the last time when an actual policy was the centre of public debate. It hasn’t disappeared entirely but it being overrun but societal schisms that are orders of magnitude more visceral, if that was possible. It’s not Democrat v Republican but white v non-white. Christian v non-Christian and north v south. And the differences are deep, emotional and seemingly irresolvable.

Trump’s random Tweets (and I do think they’re random with little forethought put into them) feed into the hate on both sides, but they especially validate the views of those who are white, Christian, anti-trade and anti-immigrant racists and bigots. These groups feel they have little to fear as they wave their Confederate flags, torches and guns.

As long as Trump is in power, debates will not return to legitimate matters of national policy and will remain at the level of raw emotion. Even if he resigned today, it may well be that it’s too late to shut the barn door.

So. Something I’ve been saying since Obama was elected and the right-wing vitriol fallout is that this was the beginning of the end of the United States of America. I hoped I was wrong but am increasingly thinking that I’m dead on.

A black man occupying the highest office in the land was abhorrent, the supreme affront to the views of a significant portion of Americans. Birthers. Conspiracy theorists of all types jumped on the anti-Obama, anti-black, anti-liberal (although 99% of this cohort haven’t a clue what being a liberal means) bandwagon. It unified them. Common cause.

Then Trump came along. A cartoon character reality show personality whose business acumen was questionable, his personality was grating to most sensible folks, but, paradoxically, he struck a chord with about a third of the American voting population. Keep in mind that much of the one-third was already predisposed to the kind of anti-establishment verbal diarrhea spewed by Trump. They dug him. Somehow beyond belief, the super-rich cartoon character was a hero.

He shot from the hip.

He didn’t fit the mold.

He wanted to drain a contrived swamp.

The one-third felt separated. Trump hated the same people that the one-third hated. Hate is emotional, raw, it makes people say and do things that they wouldn’t consider normally. Blacks, Mexicans, gays, lesbians, Muslims, liberals… hell, probably Pokémon and leprechauns! The list is pretty long. Hate ’em all!

And they liked that and came out in droves to vote for the guy.

He won.

And that one-third? They were emboldened! Holy shit, one of their own (remembering the whole rich guy paradox) was in power and he was repping him.

Now, the PRESIDENT Trump gets this and realizes (more likely one of his kids realizes) that he has to keep that one-third of slathering mouth breathers very happy. Because his scope of accessible voters isn’t going to grow much. He cannot alienate his base. At. All. Or he’ll have zero chance of re-election. Nada.

So he doesn’t condemn the Charlottesville assholes. No way! They’re the base, yo. They’re his biggest fans! Those racists, fascists, homophobes, bigots and all-round assholes rightfully see ol’ Donny as their best bet at a place at the table of power since 1864-ish.

And these racists, fascists, homophobes, bigots and all-round assholes are armed, dangerous and of generally sub-average intelligence. This is a problem and this is a real and present threat to the future of what was arguably once the greatest democracy on the planet.

The racists, fascists, homophobes, bigots and all-round assholes have never left town since the last Civil War. The good ol’ boys have been chatting in the diners and on the front porches just like their great grand-daddies did. And sadly, I think they’ll be the catalyst for the next internal conflict.

When? I give it ten years. At most.

Bonne chance, America. But I think you’re screwed.

Here in Canada, we’re sure not angels and not immune. We have our own issues. Extremist media pretenders like Levant’s Rebel Fascist outlet preach hate every bit as much as the David Dukes of the world. We have to be vigilant.

As a sidebar, driving into work this morning after I had written the above last night, I got to thinking about a conversation I had with my son a few years ago. I’m very vocal about my political likes and dislikes at home, as is my wife. Our kids are very much politically-attuned for their age.

My son would have been about 7 at the time and he asked me what I would do if I met the then-PM Stephen Harper. Much to his amazement, I said something to the effect that I would shake his hand and say “it is very nice to meet you, Mr. Harper.” My son then was confused. He knew what I thought of Harper and needed an explanation. I told him: “as much as I dislike his policies, his personality and pretty much everything about his party, he is a democratically-elected leader and we have to respect that”.

So back to the commute this morning and I replayed that conversation but substituted Trump for Harper.

And, you know what, I don’t think I could react in the same manner upon meeting the current POTUS. Harper truly believed that what he did was best for his country because, despite everything else, he was and is a proud Canadian who put his country first. Can anyone say the same for Trump?

No. He is in this for himself and could give a rat’s ass about his country. Therein lies the difference and why I would decline to shake the man’s hand.

What was intended to be a stopover gig until I got what I really wanted (a job as a policy wonk on the Hill) had turned into a full-fledged second career.

I began at the comparatively late of 34 as an Economist/Sociologist Recruit working on developing a leading indicator for the environment industry and later on working with waste management statistics. And, by and large, that’s still a big part of what I do today.

Yeah, I’m a Manager now and my job is more around administration and process than working with and analysing data (which I miss) but I’m in the same Division that I started with and have a fantastic team and great colleagues. I count myself fortunate.

There have been few days in those 20 years where I had to drag myself to the office, and that is mostly due to the professional, fun and hard-working people I see every morning (some later than others).

Would I go back and change directions given the opportunity? I don’t think so. There are certainly some things in those 20 years and before that which I would tweak, but not my decision to stay where I am and to do the interesting and important work I do.

So,to my colleagues at StatCan and throughout the federal Public Service, I say “thank you”! While being a cog in a huge bureaucracy is sometimes frustrating, you all help to make it worthwhile.

Canada has its First mass shooting in years. So tragic, and can’t help but note that a mosque was targeted.

This is amid all of the hate being spewed by Trump and his brown shirts, as well as their Canadian apologists like Kellie Leitch.

Police haven’t yet confirmed it, but it looks like Alexandre Bissonnette and Mohamed Khadir have been arrested. No motive yet, but the normalisation of Trump’s ideas into the mainstream emboldens those who are already on the edge. This may or may not be the case here, but one cannot help but wonder.

Very soon, a racist, classless and misogynist piece of trash moves into to the White House.

Be above this swamp rat, American friends. You are better than him and his sputtering jackals. Most of you are fine people.

Fight and obstruct everything he and the GOP for the full four years, just like the GOP and their gun-totin’ cohorts did to the policies of a fine and honourable President for 8 years. Liberals must not allow the destruction and division of America.

I wish you all bonne chance for the next four years. You are going to need it.

There are a couple of these Keyboard Warriors in my community and on my Twitter feed. Most of their venting is aimed at a couple of the local Councillors, but the Mayor himself is often the target. I mean, this one guy blames the local politics for EVERYTHING! Hydro trucks blocking bikes lanes, dirty road signs, faulty card readers at city parking spots, snow on the sidewalk… the list goes on ad nauseum. I’m not saying that local pols shouldn’t be informed if services levels are not up to snuff, but geez, do they HAVE to be berated for EVERYTHING?

And when they run out of tangible things to complain about, said targets are then told they are wasteful spending, ego-driven, budget-unconscious, deaf-to-the-community, anti-cyclist demagogues.

Last night, President Obama eloquently expressed one of the wonderful things about being in a democracy (or at least as close to a democracy as we will achieve).

We are free to engage.

We are free to participate.

Yes, by all means, if something rankles you or angers you, or you think that you can do better – do something about it! Engage!

Volunteer!!!!!

I whistle that tune to anyone who will listen to me. Ask my kids.

So of all of the words that the President said last night, these words about civic engagement and the responsibilities of citizenship – well they rang the clearest for me. Thank-you, Mr. President.

It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we’ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Citizen.

Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the internet, try to talk with one in real life. If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing. If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. Show up. Dive in. Persevere. Sometimes you’ll win. Sometimes you’ll lose. Presuming a reservoir of goodness in others can be a risk, and there will be times when the process disappoints you. But for those of us fortunate enough to have been a part of this work, to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire.

A Synagogue not far from where I live and even closer to my kid’s school was defiled with anti-Jewish and racist slop the other night. This Synagogue is a special place for many people who I know and call friends or colleagues.

I have set up tables for school events alongside these people, served with them on Parent Council. I respect them and they are part of my community.

And their children are my children’s’ friends. They play sports together… go to each others’ birthday parties.

I am angry. Really, really pissed off. And I am more determined than ever to do whatever I can to stop the spread of this filth perpetrated by beings that are lower than pond scum. It is the least I can do for my friends, colleagues and their families.

And if you care at all about our inclusive, tolerant and open communities, you too will speak out against this.